Improvement in station-indicators for railroad cars



v 2Sheet s--Shee't 1. C. M. BOWMAN.

Statioh-lnd'icators for Railroad-Cars.

N0. 131,42]. Y Patented Sep .17, 1872."

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Witnesses.

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C. M. BOWMAN. I

Station-Indicators for Railroad-Cars.

Patented Sep.I7,1872

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Urrnn S'rA'rEs PATENT CHARLES M. BOWMAN, OF LEBANON, PENNSYLVANIA,ASSIGNOR TO HIM- SELF AND JACOB L. RISE, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN STATION-INDICATORS FOR RAILROAD CARS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 131,421, datedSeptember 17, 1872.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES M. BOWMAN, of Lebanon, in the county ofLebanon and State of Pennsylvania, have invented an ImprovedStation-Indicator for Railway Cars, of which the following is aspecification:

Nature and Objects of the Invention.

My indicator consists of a band or ribbon of suitable material, havingthe names of successive stations marked upon it, stretched across thecenter of the dome of the car, or in other convenient place, and coiledon drums, which are connected by vertical shafts with gearing beneaththe car, operated at proper periods by a driving wheel coming in contactwith short sectional rails located at suitable points betweenlthestations. The detached rails for operating the indicator may be placedcentrally between the main track rails of the road and project to asuffioient height above the latter to permit the indicator driving-wheelto clear cross-tracks, switches, &c. The said driving-wheel is protectedby guards to prevent its being turned by contact with ash-heaps or withsnow, sand, or other matter. The vertical shafts which communicatemotion from the driving mechanism to the indicatordrums may be concealedwithin the walls of the car or in suitable casings on either the insideor outside; and I further provide, in connection with one of saidshafts, a pair of bevel-pinions, to be turned by a removable crank orkey from within the car for the purpose of settingthe indicator, as maybe necessary when the driving-wheel thereof is not upon its track.

Description of the Drawing.

Figure lis a side elevation of arailway car, illustrating my invention,with a part of the side broken away. Fig. 2 is a vertical transversesection of the same on the dotted line in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan ofthe indicator mechanism detached.

General Description.

A A represent the customary rails, and B B trucks of a car, which may beof common construction. D represents a short supplemental rail, one ofwhich rails is placed between the rails A A at a suitable point betweeneach two stations. E is a driving-wheel, fixed to a horizontal shaft, F,which carries on its ends bevel-pinions G G, gearing with similarpinions H H on vertical shafts I I, terminating above in drums J J, onwhich the ribbon K is coiled. The successive stations are plainlymarkedon one or both sides of the ribbon K. The center rails D arelocated either midway between stations, or at suitable points on theapproach to every station, so as to indicate the name of the place asthe cars arrive. The said center rail must be higher than the mainrails, but not so high as to interfere with the cow-catcher. Its endsare sloped or beveled, as indicated in Fig. 1, to permit the wheels torun easily onto it. It may be faced with gum or supported by springs toadapt it to adjust itself to the surface of the wheels. Its length maybe proportioned to that of the name to be displayed or if such rails aremade of equal length for all names, the names on the ribbon must bedisposed at equal distances from center to center, with room enough forthe longest name. The indicator driving-wheel E may be flanged or not,as preferred. It may be provided with a tire of gum-elastic to givebetter traction on rails D. L L represent guards or a casing set infront and rear of the wheel E, in order to prevent the turning of saidwheel at improper times by contact of snow, ashes, sand or other matterwhen the car is moving in either direction. One of the shafts, I, isprovided with a bevel-pinion, M, gearing with a second bevelpinion, N,which latter is turned by a removable crank or key, 0, in order to setthe indicator by hand whenever it is necessary-to do so. P P are guides,causing the ribbon to be stretched directly across the car, and holdingthat part to which the name is applied in proper vertical position.

I further purpose to employ a bell to strike whenever the ribbon shiftsand so give notice that a new name is displayed.

Operation.

FFIC.

car moves in the opposite direction, whether on the same or on anothertrack the motion of the drums and of the ribbon is reversed and thestations are again indicated as the car reaches them in reversed order.As the ribbon will be wound with greater speed onto a drum that isnearly full than it will be paid off by one that is depleted and runningat the same speed, it is necessary to allow sufficient slack in windingthe ribbons on the drums to prevent binding near the end of the route.The guides P P serve to preserve the proper vertical position of thatpart of the ribbon to which the name is applied although the ribbon maybe quite slack. If, however, the drums be of sufficiently large size sothat comparatively few coils of the ribbon Will be needed, theproportionate speed of winding and unwinding at, different stages ofdepletion will not greatly vary.

Claim.

either direction.

0. M. BOWMAN.

Witnesses:

OGIAVIUS KNIGHT, WALTER ALLEN.

